Hundreds of IAR members meet with state lawmakers in Springfield

Senate Majority Leader John Cullerton greets Bloomington REALTOR® Ed Neaves on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. Neaves and other REALTORS® visited the Capitol as part of the Illinois Association of REALTORS® Capitol Conference & Lobby Day.

More than 450 Illinois REALTORS® trekked to the state Capitol to advocate for private property rights on Tuesday, April 1, 2014.

This was the 38th annual Capitol Conference & Lobby Day, and members of the Illinois Association of REALTORS® flooded the Capitol rotunda to meet with their representatives and senators.

IAR’s leadership team met with many of the top Illinois lawmakers, including:

Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, House majority leader.

Sen. Christine Radogno, Senate minority leader.

Rep. Jim Durkin, House minority leader.

Sen. John Cullerton, Senate majority leader.

Additionally, Illinois REALTORS met with scores of lawmakers, often just outside the House and Senate chambers.

On the list of topics discussed:

REALTORS® urged support for Senate Bill 2664 (Hastings), a joint initiative of the IAR and the Illinois State Bar Association to reform the provisions of the Illinois Condominium Property Act that require incoming buyers of foreclosed condos to pay six month’s worth of the regular assessments, past due assessments, unlimited attorney’s fees, and other fines, fees and costs.

Protecting REALTORS’® ability to do broker price opinions. The association’s membership sees this as a very fundamental part of the real estate transactional process.

Support for an executive order issued March 31, 2014 which establishes a Division of Real Estate. Members sought support for the initiative signed by Gov. Pat Quinn, and which had been a longstanding goal.